Frankenfood
By Cat, May 27,2014 (Image right from Organic Consumers Assoc., used with permission)
The fight to label foods containing GMO ingredients is making progress, but we have a long way to go. Meanwhile, the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Assoc.) continues to pour money into the fight against labeling.
It’s time to stand up to them, by boycotting ALL their products, including the natural & Organic brands they own (see list, below).
Every time you buy one of these traitor brands, your dollars support the anti-labeling efforts of the GMA, voiding your efforts to label GMOs.
GMA’s anti-labeling actions
Here are three actions they are currently pursuing:
- According to an Organic Consumers Association (OCA) article (1) from April 4, 2014, the GMA is pushing a bill in Congress that would preempt all states from passing GMO labeling laws. The name of this bill is the “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014.” But you may know it as the “DARK” Act (Denying Americans the right to know act). This is not only an assault upon our rights as Americans, but also on our States’ rights.
- Vermont recently passed a very strict GMO labeling law, and the GMA has filed suit in Federal court to overturn Vermont’s law, and stop the law from taking effect.
- The GMA is doing all it can to conceal its membership list from the American public, protecting who is behind their radical actions, in direct violation of state campaign finance laws.
What can we do? BOYCOTT
It’s time for us, American consumers, to boycott the GMA and its members. (Despite their attempts to conceal their membership, it is still available on web.archive.org (2)).
The big-hitter members are well known companies like PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Hershey’s, General Mills, Smuckers, Kraft Foods, and Kelloggs. Additionally, these companies have bought up Organic and ‘natural’ brands that many of us probably assume are good, healthful brands, without thought that they may be owned by companies that oppose GMO labeling.
If we really want to boycott the GMA, we will need to boycott these Organic/natural brands as well. The following is a partial list of the more well-known brands to boycott; this list also includes the name of the GMA-member company that owns the brand. (3) (See also a printable and more readable pdf version of this list: GMA Boycott List of Natural/Organic Brands).
Nine Additional Ways to Take Your Power Back (3):
“In addition to not buying Traitor Brand foods or beverages (even if they’re certified organic), here are nine ways you can take power back from the corporate bullies that make up the Grocery Manufacturers Association:
- Stop buying all non-organic processed foods. Instead, build your diet around whole, unprocessed foods, especially raw fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats from coconut oil, avocadoes, organic pastured meat, dairy and eggs, and raw nuts;
- Buy most of your foods from your local farmer’s market and/or organic farm;
- Cook most or all your meals at home using whole, organic ingredients;
- Frequent restaurants that serve organic, cooked-from-scratch, local food. Many restaurants, especially chain restaurants (Chipotlé is a rare exception), use processed foods made by GMA members for their meals;
- Buy only heirloom, open-pollinated, and/or organic seeds for your garden. This includes both decorative plants and edibles;
- Boycott all lawn and garden chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) unless they are “OMRI Approved,” which means they are allowed in organic production. If you use a lawn service, make sure they’re using OMRI Approved products as well;
- Become an avid label reader. If a GMA member company owns the product, no matter what it is, don’t buy it;
- Download the Buycott app (4) for your smartphone, which allows you to scan products to find out if they’re part of the boycott before you buy them
- Join the Organic Consumers Association’s new campaign, “Buy Organic Brands that Support Your Right to Know”” (5)
References:
- Organic Consumers Association (OCA) article (organicconsumers.org/articles/article_29716.cfm)
- web.archive.org, archive of the GMA Member List (web.archive.org/web/20131223031329/http:/www.gmaonline.org/forms/MemberDirectory/viewMemberDirectoryAll)
- Mercola’s list of GMA brands (articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/27/gma-monsanto-gmo-labeling.aspx)
- Boycott App (buycott.com)
- OCA campaign: Buy Organic Brands that Support Your Right to Know (buycott.com/campaign/674/buy-organic-brands-that-support-your-right-to-know)